Apple tree base swollen

[Readerxx]

Hi all

I have a golden delicious apple tree finally recovering after a bad "professional" pruning that left me with a 6 foot tall stump. It's taken about 8 years to get a good crop of apples. We had a bumper crop this year.

My question is about a large round swollen area at the base of the trunk close to the ground. It's a large swollen ring about 9 inches tall all around the trunk. What's happening here?

Thanks

 

[Marck]

Hello, welcome to the Forum.

That is the graft union. It is where the 'Golden Delicious' scion was grafted onto the rootstock. There is often a swelling of callus tissue that forms at the graft union. Also, sometimes, the trunk diameter of the rootstock grows faster than that of the scion.

 

[Chuck]

It probably is as Marck stated, the graft union, but, not necessarily so. It could be potentially serious. If you can, send a picture.